by Josh Froman
Home. It’s my kids running to greet me at the door. It’s the four walls I hang family pictures on. It’s the feeling I get after coming back into town from an extended trip. It’s the people I run into at the donut shop. It’s the nod or finger wave I shoot you across the highway. It’s the sunsets down Main Street, and the stores I’ve frequented since I was a kid. Claremore is my city.
It seems to reason because of that connection, we come to expect certain rights and privileges as citizens. After all, I pay taxes, I vote, I volunteer, I’m contributing to the betterment of society. Is my checklist of city improvements and suggestions really that big of an ask?
In short, yes. I believe so.
“How does it affect my home if we sit back on our laurels and wait for city hall, and the courthouse to meet our needs?”
It’s not that a larger splash pad, an open air event, or a great set of trails is completely out of reach for a growing and developing town. Resources can, and I believe should be committed to learning, executing, and expanding into those areas to continue to better our community. The question I pose is what is the cost? Not merely in the sense of ‘how many commas are we talking’, but rather how does it affect my home if we sit back on our laurels and wait for city hall, and the courthouse to meet our needs?
I am of the persuasion that home is a place that we commit to reaching goals together, combining efforts to build a better place to live. City governments are, for all intensive purposes, service providers: lights, water, streets, sidewalks. There are bound to be things on my checklist of improvements which the City of Claremore won’t excel. Why should I place that expectation on them?
A good friend of mine always told me, “the things that bother me the most are typically the areas that I have the most to offer.” What if I can find a way to offer something in which I excel in for the betterment of the community? David Schwartz said that “The success combination in business is: Do what you do better… and: do more of what you do.” So I find myself looking for opportunities to meet the city halfway. If the City is great at maintaining streets, let them not sacrifice that in the name of growing beyond their current ability too fast to meet my so-called “rights and privileges.”
Claremore’s previous gateway signage nearing the end of its lifespan.
This is the thought behind one of Adventure Signs recent projects. The City of Claremore approached us with the challenge of repairing the sign structure in front of Pizza Hut more than a year and a half ago. With the commitments that the City was currently facing, repairing the sign was going to be a stretch with the budget they had to work within. Let’s face it, from an aesthetic and effectivity perspective; it had long exceeded its lifespan.
That’s when Mike Ward, owner of Adventure Signs, had the light bulb moment behind the CityPartner Sign (http://citypartnersign.com). The city isn’t great at maintaining a large sign asset, nor did they have the capitol available to make this a truly welcoming gateway sign as it was intended. We’re a sign company. We eat, sleep, and breathe great-looking signs. What if we can collaborate with the City of Claremore for a win? And that’s exactly what we did.
“We’re investing where there is a need, partnering with people and the City of Claremore to help them succeed.”
Adventure Signs was able to collaborate with the City in a public/private partnership to provide a great-looking gateway sign to communicate upcoming events, and civic messages that reflects our community pride, and also allows local businesses to be featured as a hometown proud company. We don’t have to tell you that supporting hometown business isn’t exactly big business. We’re here to change that. You and I need to come together to help Claremore become great again.
We’re investing in Claremore to bring updated digital city signage and advertising space. We are partnering with businesses that are looking to promote their local image, and attract local patrons through digital advertising. Print ads can get stale, and can be costly to change. Digital changes are only an e-mail or phone call away. We strive to keep things simple, so that you can do what you do best; run your business.
We’re investing where there is a need, partnering with people and the City of Claremore to help them succeed. If you’re trying to convey that you and your business too consider Claremore home, we would love to talk to you.
